Minister for Justice outlines her commitment to new garda station for Clonmel

A new garda station for Clonmel faces a long delay.
Exactly how long that delay will be is unknown as Minister for Justice Helen McEntee was unable to put a timeline on it when asked to address the issue on a visit to Clonmel last Thursday.
She was welcomed to the Clonmel station by Chief Superintendent Derek Smart and Superintendent Willie Leahy.
In recent years, as the frustration regarding the lack of progress on the new station mounts, the current station has been visited by three Taoisigh and three other holders of the Minister for Justice office. A new garda station for Clonmel was mooted decades ago and is finally at planning stage.
The new Clonmel station is part of a Private Public Partnership arrangement that locks in three projects that have to proceed in tandem.
New garda stations in Clonmel, Macroom and Sligo were involved but problems arose when Sligo pulled out and was replaced by a court building project in Dublin.
That court project is well behind the Clonmel and Macroom garda stations which now are put on hold until the court building project catches up.
Minister McEntee said that funding was available for the new station in Clonmel and she was committed to the provision of the new station in the town.
“The intention is that it will start and be completed in the next couple of years. I fully appreciate the need for the building,” said Minister McEntee.
“I want to see the new station in Clonmel start as soon as possible and I will be doing everything I can to make that happen,” said Minister McEntee.

Senator Garret Aherarn said a situation where the Clonmel station was being held up by other project could not be allowed continue.

"While I share the frustrations of many in the community with the slow progress of the new garda station for Clonmel, the government is still fully committed to this project.  The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has assured me that funding is not the problem. That being said, we cannot have a situation where this important garda station station is being held up by other projects. I have asked  Minister McEntee to look at what options are available to speed up this process.  The current works of Phase 1 are ongoing at Kickham Barracks along with the new sport hub which are so positive for the town.  Hopefully later in the year we will receive funding for phase 2 which incorporates the University moving on site but this development won't feel completed for many until the new garda station is built and I'm determined and confident that it will be built" Senator Garret Ahearn

“The station in Clonmel is unsuitable and has been for decades. Working conditions are horrendous. We have been told that Clonmel and Macroom cannot proceed until the court building in Dublin catches up,” said Tom Finnan, of the Garda Representative Association, who was on a delegation that met the Minister for Justice a month ago on the issue.
Deputy Mattie McGrath said the building in Clonmel was not suitable to function as a garda station.
“We are still in a bundle of three. Now, for some strange, bizarre and unknown reason, we have been linked in with a court building project.
“I do not have much experience of it but I know that the people who build garda stations under the contracts involved have a specific skill set.
“Court buildings are different and putting two or three garda stations into a bundle with courts buildings is nonsense. It is a delaying tactic or a stalking horse, as far as I am concerned.
“Those buildings have wholly different functionality. Their ambience and appearance are different. Everything is different.
“I would love to see the three garda stations being allowed to progress. We have the site, which we did not have for years. We have planning permission. The site is that of the old army barracks.
“We need the go-ahead. We cannot be tying it up any more with delays.”

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